Heart scarring and fat in women with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa
Official title: Myocardial Fibrosis and Steatosis Burden and Region-Specific Predictors of Progression among ART-treated Women with HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa (The MUTIMA Study)
Funded at University of Washington · NIH-11387984 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses advanced heart imaging to look for scarring and fat inside the hearts of women living with HIV on treatment in sub‑Saharan Africa.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | August 7, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $169,960 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HL167645-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11387984 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women living with HIV on antiretroviral therapy in sub‑Saharan Africa who can attend participating imaging centers are the intended participants.
✕Less likely to help
Men, people without HIV, or individuals who live outside the participating sites in sub‑Saharan Africa are unlikely to be eligible or directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers will enroll women with HIV who are receiving antiretroviral therapy at sites in sub‑Saharan Africa and perform cardiac MRI and spectroscopy to measure myocardial fibrosis and steatosis. They will collect blood tests and clinical information and repeat imaging over time to track how heart tissue changes. The team will study links between inflammation, metabolic factors like obesity, reproductive aging, and progression of heart scarring or fat. Findings will be compared to measures of heart function and clinical events to identify patterns that could guide prevention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help spot women with HIV who are at higher risk of heart failure or sudden cardiac death so they can get earlier monitoring or preventive care.
How similar studies have gone: Cardiac MRI and spectroscopy have previously linked myocardial fibrosis and steatosis to worse heart function and outcomes in other groups and in people with HIV elsewhere, but this is one of the first efforts focused on ART‑treated women in sub‑Saharan Africa.
Where this research is happening
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University of Washington
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Longenecker, Chris Todd — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Longenecker, Chris Todd
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Myocardial fibrosis and fat in ART-treated women with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa
This project studies heart tissue changes in women with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa who are on antiretroviral therapy, to understand why they’re at higher risk for heart problems as they age.
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Myocardial fibrosis and fat in ART-treated women with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa
This grant studies heart tissue changes in women living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa to understand why heart failure risk is higher in this group.
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Heart and liver of the heart: understanding heart damage in HIV-positive women in Africa
This study will look at heart damage and fat buildup in the hearts of women with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa to understand what predicts progression.
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Heart scarring and fat buildup in women living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa
This project looks at heart scarring and fat in women on HIV treatment in sub‑Saharan Africa to find early signs that lead to heart failure.
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Heart scarring and fat changes in women with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa
This project uses advanced heart imaging to look for scarring and fat build-up in women on HIV treatment in sub-Saharan Africa to understand what raises their risk of heart failure.
-
Understanding how genetic changes in blood cells relate to heart disease in people with HIV
A study will look at how age-related blood cell mutations and large chromosomal changes might contribute to heart disease risk in people living with HIV.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.